Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It encompasses many religious traditions and beliefs and includes people from all over the world. There are many stories, hymns, passages, rituals, and sacred texts in Scriptures Of The World’s Religions about Hinduism and its beliefs of moksha, or liberation, and how to attain it.…
This Sunday morning I had the opportunity to witness my first Buddhist temple service at the Toledo Zen Center. My classmate, Tasi, accompanied me and we arrived to the service around 10:30 in the morning. When we first entered the temple we were both greeted by the man whom I had spoken with about coming, but were instantly amazed at the amount of color there was within the temple and how beautiful it was. I immediately noticed how unique and unusual it was in appearance compared to any religious service that I had ever attended. From the beginning, I was intrigued and was looking forward to observing the Buddhist rituals and routines.…
My keen interest I decided to visit the Wat Buddharangsi Temple of Miami which follows the ways of Theravada Buddhism. I did not expect to find it in such a remote location. The temple was completely surrounded by fields in a village like neighborhood. The location and its surroundings had the atmosphere very peaceful. A lot of trees surrounded the temple and made it feel full of life. The design of the temple was beautiful with not much color apart from the gold painted roofs and details. The building was built in a distinct “North Asian” style making it feel like you were stepping into a completely different place.…
Growing up as a Buddhist, my family and I would go to temple at least once a year to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Even though I have been going to temple, I did not even realize that there was so much I did not know about the culture until my recent visit to the Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights with my geography class.…
I never thought how interesting it would be to visit a different place of worship besides Christianity. Since the day I was born I’ve been a Christian and whatever anyone else believes in is wrong and that they are going to hell if they don’t believe in Christianity. About 3 years ago I visited the International Buddhist Progress Society a Buddhist temple in Naperville. Buddhism from what I learned looks more like a way of life or guidelines to it rather than a religion. Buddhism tells you how you could live life better but doesn’t scare you with the prospect of hell instead you live with ignorance. My own history with Christianity still made me doubt or fear the conquences of going to this temple. Part of me believed that I be punished by…
Before visiting the Wat, I found a contact number on their website which I called to find out more information. A woman answered the phone and there was an extreme language barrier between the two of us. I wasn’t able to get her name however, I understood the Wat held a service in English on Sunday afternoons during the hours of 3-5. After having an unsuccessful conversation I continued to do online research. I found that the Wat Buddharangsi is open to the public every day from 7 am to 5 pm. During those hours, the public is able to speak and visit the monks, no appointment needed. They have chanting’s on Sunday at 6 am and 6 pm. They also offer meditation in English on Sundays from 3-5 pm as well as in Spanish on Monday at 6 pm. It is expected that when attending that you dress appropriately and not wear anything provocative. Also, it is preferred that you dress in light colored clothes. They also ask that prior to entering the building that you remove your shoes…
Allen, C. (2005, June 18). Is justice served in celebrity trials? Local experts disagree. Greenville Online News. Retrieved June 27, 2005, from http://greenvilleonline.com/news/2005/06/18/2005061866284.htm…
When Buddhism first began to spread into china, reactions were mixed. While many people supported the idea, others were neutral, and a large number opposed Buddhism’s growing popularity. The opinions on the spread were not always cultural; many had underlying political origins. Those that supported this idea were typically those left without rights by the old Confucian ideals or people who were looking for an alternate for Confucianism. Some reacted neutrally so as to gain the favor of both sides. On the flip side as Buddhism began to change Confucian values, the people in power turned strictly against the new belief system in an effort to keep ancient tradition.…
Using information from Site 1, write four defining elements of dharma (the prescribed conduct and morality within the religious system of Hinduism).…
In the 10 years between the time span of 2003-2013, we can find a change in not only the people, but in the friends we have kept and lost. Friends play a big role in how our high school years turn out, as does our taste in music. The first 18 years in a person’s life decide the rest of the person’s life and who they are. Friends and music make a big part of someone’s life, and for the person to get where they are today, they have to undergo some major changes.…
Buddha remains the essential being of knowledge and faith, though some of his teachings have been modified. Though Buddha emphasised equality between the sexes, this ideology has changed throughout the centuries, as there is evident discrimination towards females and nuns. This has come about because of the seemingly natural predisposition of males to want to dominate. At the Nan Tien Temple, we did not see many monks around because they were elsewhere, doing more important things, the nuns were left to teach the school children and tourists. After visiting the Nan Tien Temple, and seeing the somewhat uptight nuns there, I suspect that this is also a change within the belief system. Buddha had taught tolerance and encouraged Buddhists to help and teach other people, though the Nan Tien Temple did not quite display this belief.…
Over its long history Buddhist has developed into a wide variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and worship of deities to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. But all share in common a great respect for the teachings of the Buddha, ‘The Enlightened One’”(Religion Facts). Originally Buddhism was centered on the individuals who lived in moderation to decrease their suffering, but evolved into monks and nuns who worshipped Buddha as their god. One of the main beliefs of Buddhism is true enlightenment, also known as nirvana. In this novel the main reason Hsun-ching tried to get the sutra was so Wei-ching could achieve enlightenment but he soon realizes, “It is as Buddha said all along: Enlightenment cannot be found in books. It must be experienced directly! Foolish as I was, I did not take him at his word” (260). Another example of Buddhism in the novel is when Wei-ching talks about how the must temporarily soil themselves to help someone else perform a good deed, “Wei-ching picked his teeth for a moment, then said ‘It is true that one should not eat meat or dink liquor. But it is even more true that Buddhist must be compassionate. That man needed to prepare us a good meal, to redeem himself for ignoring religion during his life. If we had refused, we would have prevented him carrying…
Tu Lam Buddhist Temple is a non-profit organization with the purpose of learning, practice and sharing the teachings of the Buddha in according to the Mahayana tradition. This consist of chanting sutra, reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name, practice meditation, and provides spiritual counseling.…
I visited a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in West Palm Beach, and I was able to partake in some of their religious practices. There are many Vietnamese people in Florida, so the temples where created in order to provide people with the chance to practice Buddhism and express the cultural values. The form of Buddhism I experienced was Mahayana. Mahayana Buddhism developed during the first century. The Mahayana believe in and follow the Pali Canon. Those who practice Mahayana Buddhism also welcome the Mahayana literature that was originally written in Sanskrit and later changed to different languages such as Chinese and Tibetan. Mahayana literature honors various Buddha’s and bodhisattvas. The Mahayana literature encourages many individuals to…
“Places teach us about how the world works and how our lives fit into the spaces we occupy.” Amidst towering red northern oaks, Georgia maples, and the Sage Hill Kroger, a tiny home sets itself apart from all the other American cottages with a big sign: “Atlanta Soto Zen Center.” What an ancient eastern tradition is doing in the sleepy town of Druid Hills is beyond me—but once I stepped inside, location seemed remarkably insignificant. The Atlanta Soto Zen Center prides itself on its tiny temple that offers Zen Buddhism instruction to all residents of the metro-Atlanta area, and seizes the opportunity of the vast wilderness that is available to them to expand upon their rich traidtion.…